Electrical water-heater.



F. WALKER.

ELECTRICAL WATER HEATER.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 1o, 190e.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Inventar- Ua/lier' v Kaw E. WALKER. ELECTRICAL WATER HEATER. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1o, 1906.

Peteneed Feb.11,'1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I FRANK WALKER, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRICAL WATER-HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

iatented Feb. 11,1913.

Application led September 10, 1906. Serial No. 334,042.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, FRANK WALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and 5 State of California, have invented a new and useful Electrical Water-Heater, of which lthe following isa specification.

An object of this invention is to provide a practical, satisfactory, safe and economical means for heatin water by electricity for baths, toilet, do ic, and other purposes.

It is generally claimed that where electric energy is applied for the purpose ofheating water, electrolysis or galvanic action is liable to take place in the pipes between the heater and the water mains, especially where galvanized pipe is used. I propose to avoid this action by insulating the pipe before it reaches the electric heater, and by making a break in the column of water in the supply-pipe. I propose to make this break by placing the shut-oil' valve at a point considerably higher than the hot-water discharge, and putting a vent in below the shut-ott to admit air when the shut-off is closed, thus providing a column ofl air to separate between the water in the pipe and that in the heater, and I provide a vent over the -hot-water discharge to prevent siphoning or" water from theheater.

An object of my invention is simplicity and' cheapness of construction, and '1n this' connection I propose to heat the water by submerginga resistance in an insulated container provided with an inlet and an outlet whereby the resistance will be at all times submerged and surrounded on'all sides by the liquid; large conductors being provided in the closures of the container to conduct from the resistance without evolution of heat in such closures.

Another object of my invention is to make a heater having a resistance all parts of which are in contact with the liquid to be heated, this I accomplish by holding the resistance in place in the chamber by connecting it to and between the electric current conductors.

Further objects are to construct a of minimum size and maximum capacity for heating water with a minimum expenditure of# electric energy; to bring the flowing water into contact'with the resistance in the most eife'ctive manner with the least obstruction of the water current.

.serted into the glass tube.

the current through such closures toand heater The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure l is a view of the water heater in l60,`v` J one of its forms. Fig. 2 is a fragmental axial section of the heater showing thi` vonstruction in detail. The current and water are bot-li shut ott. Fig. 3 is an axial section.. showing the heater constructed with ltwo resistance coils to increase its heating cupac-.f

ity.` Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan detail of the interlocking safety means forinsuring the subniergence of the resistance coil before and while the current is turned on. The parts are occupied in position shown when the water is turned` o-n and the current' turned off. Dotted lines indicate the position of the electric switch when the current is on. Fig. 5 is a view at rightangles to y 1 designates an insulated liquid container preferably consisting of a glass tubehaving an inlet 2 at the bottom and an outletl 3 at the top for the purpose" of passing water.

therethrough to be heated. y

4 is resistance formed of a resistancewire'; which may be resilient and is out of contact with any support excepting the conductors` 5, 6, that are low resistance binding posts,

being of comparatively large diameter, 'coni nected with the ends of said resistance and inserted through the closures 7 and `8 which may be in the form of'rubber Stoppers in 9," 10 designate binding screws 11, 12 are binding screws connecting the to yfasten-v the resistance coil 4 to the conductors 5 and 6. l

conductors 5 and 6 with conductors 13, lllA 1` of the electric circuit.y

V15 designates the contacts a switch;

and Y16 is a cont-act blade operated by; the

slotted lever or handle 17 which isaloclne-d:y in the yshut-off position by the handle `,118*.ofs the valve 19 which controls the flow ofwater'f from the water supply notshown, connecting through the supply pipe 20 toi-the inlet 2.' Said inlet 2 opens into the chamberof the container- 1 through a.nipple;i21. whiclif surrounds the lower conductor 5 and is con-:f

l 11o stopperor .close ff v. i' to close the 'end of the T 22 and to insulate the conductor 5 from sald T. The outlet 3 is through a nipple 25 screwed into the insulated closure 8 31 is an air inlet into the outlet pipe 29 to prevent siphoning of the contents of the .container 1. l

32 1s a regulating valve above t-he cutoft' valve or faucet 19 for the purpose of regulating the flow of water into the heater.

l The handle 17 of the electric switch is provided with a slot 33 which is large enough to passl forward and back over the handle 18jl and the stem 34 of the 'au'cet'19 when the faucet is open. The slot 33- eXtends along the handle 17 and partly around the hub 35 of theswitch contact 16, so that when the handle 17 is moved to bring the contact blade into position connecting the contact points 15 of the switch, the handle 18 ot' the faucet will be held in said slot 33 againstv turning, asshown in Fig. 5, until the switch lever or handle 17 is again brought into the position" shown in Fig. 4, whereupon the` faucet may be turned to turn ofi' the water. It is apparent that when the. faucet is so turned, it locks the handle 17 so that it can -not be moved to close the switch 15, 16.

The resistance coil-4 is preferably made of, resilient lresistance wire placed under a tension and held under tension by the position ot' the conductors 5 and 6 at the opposite ends of the insulatedcontainer 1. The tense coil maintains its central position in .the container without any core or supporting means, and is entirely submerged and surrounded on all sides by the liquid which is to be heated.

In Fig. 3, 41 designates a second resistance coil for the purpose of increasing the capacity of the heater, allowing a greater How vof current and evolving a greater amount of heat. l

In Fi 3 I have shown two resistance coils whlch are separated from each other by a glass tube having one coil outside and the other coil inside of said tube which tube is supported in place by the lower' part ot the resistance coils. This construction shown in Fi 3 is used where a greater heating capacity is needed. i

42 is an insulator between the resistance coils, A4 and 41, to prevent shortl circuiting that might otherwise occur in the container. Said insulator may be a glass tube held in place by the resistance coils.

43 is a reinforcing jacket of metal or other strong material set on a coat 44 of plastic material around the glass tube 1 to protect the glass from breakage. Said jacket will uid container havingan inlet and an outlet;`

an electrical resistance consisting of a tense coil in the container and means to support the coil at the ends only respectively; said coil from end to end being free from any core or supporting means, 'thus allowing free circulation of water substantially as set forth; and said supporting means being free from contact with the container and passing through the inlet and outlet respectively.

2. In an electrical heater, an insulated liquid container', an insulator tube in the Container, and resistance coils inside of and surroinuling the insulator tube; said coils being free 0from contact with any supportv from end to end of the insulator tube.

An electric water heater provided with a supply pipe having an air opening in same at a point above the top of the heating chamber. Y

4. An electric heater provided with aheating chamber and having liquid supply and discharge pipes communicating with said chamber, the supply pipebeing provided with an air inlet at a point which is above the top of the heating chamber.

An electric heater provided with a heating chamber and having liquid supply and discharge pipes communicating with Vsaid chamber, the supply' pipe being provided with an air inlet at a pointwhich is above the top of the heating chamber, said discparge pipe opening from the topof the c iamber and provided with a vent at or near its top `ior the purpose set forth.

6. In an electric water heater, a glass tube,- insulatingl closures in the ends of the glass tube and forming a heating chamber, pipenipples in the insulating closures, ATs upon the pipe-nipples, insulating closures for the alined openings of the pipe-nipples, the side opening of one T serving as an inlet andthe side opening of the'other T serving as an outlet; conductors through the closures of the Ts and throughA the nipples into the ends of the heating chamber, and two independent resilient resistancel coils insulated from each other, the one coiled within the other connecting the conductors.

7. .In an electric water heater, a glass tube, insulating closures in the ends of the glass tube and forming a heating chamber, pipenipples in the insulating closures, Ts upon the pipe-nipples, insulating closures for the alined openings of the pipe-nipples, the slde opening of one T serving as `an inlet and the side opening of the other T serving as an outlet; conductors through the closures of the Ts and through the nipples into the ends of the 'heating chamber, a resistance .coil connecting the conductors, a glass tube around the resistance coil, and a second resistance coil independent of the lfirst coil around the glass tube and connected to the conductors.

8. In an electric water heater, a glass tube; container, insulating closures for the container, conductors extending through the closures, a. heating coil connecting the conductors, a glass tube insulator around the heating coil, and a second heating coil around the glass tube insulator independent of the first coil and connected to the conductors, said glass tube insulator being suspended by the heating coil.

9. The combination with a container having an inlet and an outlet, of a resistance coil in the container, a faucet to supply 10. The combination with a container, a supply pipe, a resistance in the container and a conductor for supplying electrical enegy to saidresistance, of a pivoted switch for the conductor provided with a slotted handle, a' faucet provided with a stem and a handle narrower than the slot to. enter the slot when the switch is open to thereby prevent closing of the faucet until the switch is open.

11. The combination with a container, a

'resistance therefor and a conductor for the resistance, of asupply pipe, a faucet therefor, a pivoted switch for the conductor, the faucet stem extending at right angles to the pivot of the switch, the switch having a slotted handle, the slotlof which extends part way around the hub vof the switch and the handle and stem of the faucet projecting through the slot to allow the faucet handle to turn when the switch is open and the faucet handle being adapted to extend over the switch handle to prevent the switch from being closed when the faucet is closed and the faucet being open and the faucet handle in the slot whenever the switch is closed.

In testimony'whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 5th day of September 1906.

f FRANK WALKER.

In presence of- 4 JAMES R. TowNsENn, JULIA TowNsEND. 

